


It Waits In The Woods

by daxcat79



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Attempt at Humor, F/M, People Will Die, Romance, and it's gonna be graphic, and that's also gonna be graphic, chances are some of these characters are gonna be dead, he also has no shame, it's a stranger things fanfic for adult star wars fans, kylo ren does not like clothes, rey doesn't seem to mind though, sex is gonna happen, the kids from the last jedi only stranger, the monster fanfic you never asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-23
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-13 03:17:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14741010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daxcat79/pseuds/daxcat79
Summary: “The creature waits in the woods… lurking in them with it’s new body, nothing more than a clever disguise.  ‘Save Ben Solo,’ the creature says.  ‘Save Ben Solo.’  No one ever suspects that the lost boy who'd run away from home is nothing more than a monster stalking it’s next victim.  And as it’s prey moves closer, reaching out towards the child... they finally see those grotesque eyes of red, but by then it’s too late!  Ben Solo is gone… and he’s never coming back.  All that’s left is the monster… waiting… watching… thirsting for BLOOD!”





	1. Chapter One:  An Urban Legend Born

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is an unholy alliance between _Stranger Things_ , _Marvel_ , _The Shape of Water_ , and _Star Wars_. Don't say I didn't warn you.

He can’t drown out the screaming.

Hands clasped over his ears, curled into a tight ball as it just seems to get louder. Cruel words spat out to cut, and he’s the one bleeding. He can hear them even with the door locked… even in the darkness of his closet. His converse digging into his ribs, but he doesn’t kick them away. He wishes the closet would crumble… bury him inside till he can’t move. Hide him away from the screaming. Hold onto him and never let go. He’ll shut his eyes and pretend. Pretend he’s not here. Pretend nothing is wrong.

The screaming only gets louder. Doors slamming.

His heart is pounding so fast it hurts. He can’t breathe because his chest is too tight. Not again, not again, not again. Tears slip down to pool on the wood under his head. He knows what this is but he can’t stop it. He tugs on his shirt as if it’s choking him somehow. He knows it isn’t. He knows what this is. It’s happening again and he going… he’s drifting into something bad. So afraid… so afraid that he might not find his way back again this time.

“Dammit Leia, I can’t do this anymore! I can’t!”

“Then go! It’s what you’re good at, isn’t it?! Just go, Han! You selfish coward!”

*******

Screaming again. Only this time it’s him.

His hand slams against the window carelessly as the Falcon drives off. Hysterical. “Daddy! PLEASE! COME BACK! DADDY! NOOOO!” He’s sobbing and choking, shaking so hard he feels like he might fly apart. Something is burning, building inside him, an explosion of pain that has him wild.

A hand grabs his wrist to keep him from shattering the glass, but he pulls away, rips away from her. “YOUR FAULT!” he cries. “THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU MADE HIM LEAVE! WHY DID YOU MAKE HIM LEAVE?!” Rage burns everything in his veins until he no longer feels human. No control. Lost to it. To the monster lurking inside just waiting for a moment like this. He kicks over the round wood table nearby, hurting himself in the process, but he doesn’t feel a thing. “I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!” The monster is not satisfied. It’s not enough. His mother calls his name, but he can’t stop. He won’t stop. Yank down the drapes, the bar ripped from the walls. Flip over the coffee table… he shouldn’t be that strong.

His fist hits the window and a shock of red stains the glass. His mother gaps, terrified… of him… of this… of the monster.

“Ben…”

He’s shoving the door open before he knows where he’s going. Down the steps, across the yard, towards the woods just beyond. His mother is still shouting his name, begging him to stop. He doesn’t listen. Can’t listen. He saw her fear. He saw it. All his fault. The screaming. The fighting. It’s all his fault.

He’s fast. Faster than his mother. Faster than his pain… if he never stops. And he won’t stop. Not for anyone. The leaves rustle. His cheeks are cold. Gasping for breath. Tears streaming down his face as it’s all too much. Overwhelmed. Out of control. Snapping like the twigs he tramples over. There’s nothing but woods for miles behind this property and he keeps his hands up to block against branches.

Running. He just needs to keep running. He can escape all of it if he tries. He’ll never go back. They can’t make him. Nothing but fighting. Always fighting. Never any peace. He can’t take it anymore. The woods are quiet. No fighting in the woods. He can live here now. They can’t make him go back.

He hits the ground hard. Briefly stunned.

“BEN!” his mother sounds panicked, but her voice is faint. He’s run too far. He doesn’t know where he is. His hands shake as they press into the dirt and dried leaves. He flips over and he’s frozen. Someone. Something. He can feel it. The quiet crunching of the leaves as it draws closer and the sky is blocked out by what’s been waiting for him… waiting all along. He doesn’t speak, can’t speak. Can’t move. That face… scarred like he’d been burned in a fire… with eyes more like an animal than a human. A cruel smile on his monstrous face. Quiet like a ghost. He should be afraid, but he’s not. His heart slows. His muscles relax. 

The sun shining through the trees, clouds parting and moving with the wind. The eyes seem to dig into his soul as hands of grey brush the dark curls from his eyes. “Shhhh… no more tears.” His voice sounds like a whisper in the dark, raspy and cold. He can’t look away… stuck in a trance. Like staring into the eyes of a serpent as it squeezes. Somehow he knows. Even as he hears his mother’s call. Even as he opens his mouth to scream for help. Somehow he knows.

He knows he’s going to die.

**Twenty Years Later**

“… and then… as he stared up into the inhuman eyes of the creature… BOOM!” A hand slammed down hard onto the hardwood floor. The boys jumped, clutching their flashlights in terror, eyes wide as they were pulled into the story. Lucas curled his lips into a menacing smile, looking almost crazed as the creature he was talking about. He moved his own flashlight towards them, shining the light just under their eyes, though they still squinted at the brightness. “He’d run too deep into the woods… the darkest part of the woods where the creature lurked. It took him as a host. A new body for it to feed and control… as it’s own continued to decay. The creature stank like the living dead, it’s mangled hands… cold to the touch… reaching out to touch his cheek. It’s razor-like claws cutting at the boy’s flesh. He tries to scream for his mother, but he can’t! The claws dig in more! Tearing and ripping! It devours his insides, swallowing organs and crushing bone until the boy becomes a husk. The boy becomes the creature… fully possessed by it… consumed.”

“L-Lucas… that’s stupid! He was probably just kidnapped by some psychopath or something,” protested Will (William) Sar, squeezing at his flashlight. The sheets they’d turned into a tent hung low, everything closing in around them. Lucas Zaya’s room was dark except for the flashlights each boy held to set the mood for the scary story. Lucas could tell they regretted that decision. He ducked his head down for a minute to hide his smile of triumph.

The story wasn’t over yet though. His gaze drifted back up and he leaned forward towards his friends. His target was Will’s deep blue eyes, as he seemed the most afraid, practically shaking in his Iron Man PJs. His reddish curls were pushed back away from his face, and he kept licking his lips to keep them from going dry. The light of Will’s flashlight reflected off Lucas’ dark skin, making the white of his teeth almost glow. “The creature waits in the woods… lurking in them with it’s new body, nothing more than a clever disguise. ‘Save Ben Solo,’ the creature says. ‘Save Ben Solo.’ No one ever suspects that the lost boy who'd run away from home is nothing more than a monster stalking it’s next victim. And as it’s prey moves closer, reaching out towards the child... they finally see those grotesque eyes of red, but by then it’s too late! Ben Solo is gone… and he’s never coming back. All that’s left is the monster… waiting… watching… thirsting for BLOOD!”

The boys jumped back, almost collapsing the tent. The sheets are covered with alien spaceship cartoons and stars. They’d ripped it off the bed to make their little fort, with sleeping bags underneath them for cushion. As Lucas looked up, he wondered if the stars were glowing from outside the tent as the flashlights pass over them. “Enough!” shrieked Dustin Blagg, running a hand through his blonde hair. Lucas was laughing as he threw a pillow at his friend’s head. Dustin threw it right back, the force confirming his very real irritation. “It’s not funny! That kid died out in those woods! I mean… what about his mother? She lives just down the street from us! Plus, last I heard… his father drank himself to death! It’s not funny!”

“It’s just a story, Dustin,” Lucas responded with a roll of his eyes. “An urban legend. Every town has them.”

“It’s still not right… what happened to Ben Solo. I can’t imagine what it must be like…” said Will. He swallowed audibly and took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

“Not even the police ever found out what happened. They never found a body or anything. We could solve it… like those Buzzfeed Unsolved Mysteries on YouTube. I could use my phone as a video camera,” suggested Dustin. “Maybe he’s still out there.”

“You almost pee’d your pants just listening to the story, dummy.” Lucas scoffed and shook his head, grabbing the pillow that’d been thrown around, and shoving it back on the bed just outside the tent. “Besides… all we’d find is a decomposed body. He’s nothing but a skeleton… and maggot food.”

“You don’t know that!” Will argued. He didn’t sound so sure of himself. 

“I do know that,” said Lucas. He was always up for a good mystery, but not if it was just a waste of time. “Everybody knows that. When kids get kidnapped they don’t come back… not alive anyway.”

Dustin frowned, looking down at his flashlight as it flickered. His batteries were running low. “Mrs. Organa… she still has hope. She’s been waiting for him to come back to her all these years.”

“So?”

“So… maybe he will.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. Sometimes his friends were so slow. Twenty years missing? There was no way… but when he looked at his friends he could see the sadness in their eyes. Everyone knew the story. The real story. The once Mayor lost her husband and her son on the very same day. She hadn’t been the same since. Neither had the town. Nothing was quite as horrible as a small town losing a son. His voice softened when he finally spoke, looking away, avoiding their innocent gaze. “Whatever happened… creature or no creature. Ben Solo is gone… and he’s never coming back.”

“Then we should find out who did it!” Dustin insisted. “What if they still live in the town? What if Ben Solo isn’t the only kid whose been taken?”

“You wanna get taken too?” Will questioned, his eyes widening in horror.

“Come on, guys! It happened twenty years ago! Whoever took him is really old by now! It can’t be that dangerous… but it’d be the opportunity of a lifetime! We’d be solving a cold case not even the police figured out! Where’s your sense of adventure? We could leave just after Lucas’ parents go to sleep,” Dustin urged.

“My sister would rat us out before we could even open a door.” Lucas’ little sister was a menace to society. She was always causing him trouble! Sticking her nose where it didn’t belong! Of course, to Dad she was an angel… Princess Erica. God, he hated her. “Besides, even if we did find out who really took Ben Solo we’d probably just end up being maggot food too! Old or not, it’s not worth the risk!”

Dustin refused to back down. Lucas may have been good at telling adventurous stories, but Dustin was the kind of guy that wanted to live them… even when he was afraid. “We’re not far from where it happened! We wouldn’t stay out all night! Just for an hour or two!”

“You’re crazy! You’re gonna get us all killed!” protested Will, the more sensible of the trio. 

Lucas chewed on his lip, looking back and forth between Dustin and Will. “How about this? We wait… until four in the morning. If my sister catches us, we can say we just wanted to get an early start before school!”

“You can’t be serious!” wailed Will.

Dustin was already grinning, spitting in his right hand before extending it towards Lucas. “No backing out.”

What the hell? It would make a good story, right? They’d probably just turn over a few rocks, swing branches at some trees, and then ride their bikes to school with little to show for their efforts. He’d make a story of it anyway… kid prodigies of legends like Sherlock Holmes and that nerdy white guy from Criminal Minds. Lucas spat in his own hand and took Dustin’s, cringing as their shared spit rubbed together. “No backing out.”

Will groaned as his friends turned to look at him. “Why do I let you two dipshits talk me into this stuff?”

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter Two:  Save Ben Solo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something in the woods... something....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! Posting two chapters at once?! What the fuuuuck? I'm gonna try and update this at least once or twice a week. It's not going to be a long story and the chapters will vary in length. I've been feeling a little shitty about my writing abilities lately so I want to thank Perry Downing and CoupDeFoudRey for encouraging me to write this fic. Also... if it's terrible blame them! IT'S ALL THEIR FAULT!

Snap’s head drooped forward, his eyes barely open, as he sat by the fire. He’s been up all night thanks to too much coffee, but perhaps he finally felt tired enough to get some actual sleep. Pity it took so long. At this rate he’d only manage an hour or two before it was time to pack up the camping site and return home. He and Wedge had spent most of the weekend hunting… just small game. It wasn’t quite deer hunting season yet.

They didn’t have much to show for their efforts, but that wasn’t really the point. He’d known Wedge Antilles nearly all his life. Wedge wasn’t really family, but he’d been around a hell of a lot more than his own old man. At least twice a year they’d go off into these woods, do the kind of male bonding one would expect between father and son. The hunting was just an excuse for finding a little solitude and drinking enough beer to do permanent damage to their livers. 

Wedge had passed out almost the moment his head hit the pillow, and Snap envied his ability to sleep almost anywhere. Probably something he’d learned from his time in the Air Force. He’d been one hell of a pilot in the good old days… before retiring to Endor to live a quieter life in the small town. The perfect place for a man who’d seen far too much action while in the service.

It was still pitch black in these woods, and the fire was dying, forcing Snap to hold the thick blanket wrapped around him just a little tighter. The woods were always deafeningly silent. Not even the leaves seemed to rustle in the wind. Sometimes the trees would creak and groan, and if he listened closely, he could hear the sound of bats searching for prey. The mynok bat was especially grotesque, looking more like a parasite with wings as it would descend to pluck rodents off the ground and devour them whole. It’s circular mouth and acidic saliva digesting everything including the bones. He’d seen quite a few nearby, circling overhead as they eyed Snap and Wedge’s trophies for the day.

Wexley sighed, kicking a little dirt into the fire to snuff it out. Exhaustion was finally taking over. It was about time he at least try and get some shut eye. Tomorrow it’d be back home to the wife… back to civilization. Not that he dreaded such a thing, but there was something tempting about hiding away in the woods a few more days. 

Slowly the fire died, reduced to just a few glowing logs. Wedge had left his small lantern on to give them some light, but it too wouldn’t last much longer. It was almost out of oil. He didn’t bother standing up. Just crawled on his hands and knees to the sleeping bag across from Wedge and kicked off his boots before sliding inside. It wasn’t warm just yet, but with the extra blanket he was more than comfortable. His eyes fluttered closed, already drifting when he heard it. The soft screeching in the distance. Of course… of course only now would these damn woods decide to make noise. Probably those fucking mynoks again.

Snap groaned, trying to ignore the screeching, but it was only getting louder. It was a strange sort of scream… like nails on a chalkboard and the cry of a red fox. The sound making him shiver in a way that had nothing to do with the cold. Why was it that the moment he finally decided he was ready to rest, the forest decided it was ready to be noisy? Slowly he opened his eyes just in time for a mynok bat to swoop down, it’s aggressive shriek more than enough to get the adrenaline pumping as his arms covered over his face. “What the hell?!”

Mynoks were never that bold! When he glanced over at Wedge, he could tell the older man was still sleeping. The rabbits were in a cooler, but somehow the mynoks were undeterred. Two more flew down, making enough noise to make a grown man’s ears bleed. Even Wedge wasn’t immune to that. He shot up quickly, crouching low as more flew just inches over his head. “Jesus! What’s gotten into them?” Wedge questioned, half sleep as he rubbed at his ears.

“I don’t know!” Snap responded. When yet another one made a dive, and he rolled from his sleeping bag just in time. White drool sizzled on his sleeping bag, and Wexley coughed as the putrid smell filled his nostrils. The damn things were disgusting! More bats were circling, far too aggressive for Snap’s liking. He’d never seen anything like it! “This is crazy!”

Wedge crawled from his sleeping bag to the cooler, opening it quickly and throwing a dead rabbit off into the darkness. None of the bats took the bait. “Oh… that’s not good.”

If… if they weren’t after the rabbits… why were they acting like this? Another monstrous shriek made Snap wince, his eyes wide as he tried to assess their situation. “Never heard a mynok make a noise like that before.”

“Snap… t-that wasn’t a mynok.”

Snap frowned, turning his head towards Wedge. “Then just what the hell was it?”

Before Wedge could respond, Snap watched the older man’s body straightening, eyes wide in horror. Snap’s screams joined that of the mynok bats as sharp claws ripped straight through Wedge’s chest from behind, dripping with blood, and the man he cared about most in the world was yanked into the darkness. For a moment he couldn’t process what had just happened. He couldn’t comprehend it. His eyes were wide as he stared into the blackness of the night.

He had to be dreaming! A nightmare! No mynok could have done something like that! Something else. Something else in the woods. He was pulled from his frozen terror at the sound of Wedge’s scream, and a sickening crunch. The sound echoed around him and Snap’s eyes followed it, straining to see in the darkness. Another sound, a low moan, pitiful and weak. More mynoks dove down as he tried to swat them away. He had to get the FUCK out of here, but what about Wedge? Was it already too late?

Snap made a rush for his shotgun holster to get his gun. It was propped up against the log he’d been sitting on earlier by the fire. His hands were shaking as he tried to load it quickly, the tears just making it even more difficult to see. He’d never seen anything like those claws. Never seen an animal do that. Something else. This was something else.

His eyes remained vigilant, his weapon aimed high as he crouched, waiting for a sound, searching for movement. Nothing. Not a thing. He needed a flashlight! There was a small one by the cooler, it must have rolled off the top when Wedge had thrown that dead rabbit. He turned it on, holding it just over the barrel of his shotgun as he searched the black forest for whatever had attacked.

“W-Wedge?” he called out, though he knew it was useless.

Slowly he turned, worried the creature had circled around. His eyes followed the light. Careful to spot even the slightest bit of movement. It was all way too still. Too quiet. Even the mynoks had stopped. All he could hear was his heavy breathing… the pounding of his heart. Fuck… something was out there. Something took Wedge. He licked his lips and tried to remain calm.

Nothing. He saw nothing. Not even Wedge.

Snap’s finger squeezed gently on the trigger, not enough to shoot, but eager to do something. Where the hell was it? Another sweep around in the pitch black. Was that movement? His gun and the flashlight slid to the right, back towards a large tree where he’d thought he’d seen something. His eyes narrowed. Staring into the night until he felt it… a drip. On his neck. It didn’t feel like rain.

Slowly he lifted his gaze up, frozen as he was met with sharpened teeth, the creatures jaw opened impossibly large. Blood red eyes met his own as it stood over him. “Oh shi-” he screamed as the creature cut him off with a chomp. His last thoughts filled with unimaginable terror as those sharpened teeth ripped off his head….

*******

Rey doesn’t like to jog at night.

She’s watched more than enough crime dramas to put her off running alone in the dark. High risk way to end up kidnapped or attacked, and Rey isn’t cocky enough to believe those self-defense classes will save her from the barrel of a gun. 

That doesn’t keep her from waiting for dawn. Like the perfect balance of darkness and light. Sometimes there was even a fog and it felt like the air was different. It felt like the world was a mystery and she was becoming a part of that. The fog would roll around her, embrace her, and lead her down the soft path of dirt and gravel.

Today… it was just about dawn. Like every morning, she focused on the sound of her lungs… the sharp inhale, and the harsh exhale. The sound of her heart pounding in her ears. No music, because she liked to be aware of her surroundings. Everything quiet. Everything calm. This was what centered her, kept her feeling like she could face the day. She was moving so fast, the adrenaline surging through her, more alive now than any other time in her life. 

The road ran down by Silver Lake. It was tranquil here in the woods and she loved the way the lake would reflect the mountains on clear days… like a mirror to the sky. Sometimes a few fishermen will take out their boat. They’d mostly catch and release. Just there for the silent reflection… one with nature and all that. Hunters would go out for deer during the season, and occasionally she’d hear the echo of a gunshot. Her heart would always tighten… she wasn’t a big fan of any sport that killed innocent animals.

Still, Rey liked to believe that nothing ever really ends. Some called it reincarnation… or another form of rebirth, but neither quite described her own belief. All she knew was life was a circle… a never ending cycle like that of the rain or the way death and decay fed new life.

There wasn’t enough light yet for her to see too far ahead. The trail would take her deeper into the woods before leading off towards her home. Her little cabin was isolated, surrounded by the woods she’d known her whole life. She was losing speed as her muscles began to strain. Perhaps she’d pushed herself too hard this time. Her ankle was still recovering from a bad sprain, and she hadn’t drunk nearly enough water for such a long run. She knew better, but she liked the challenge.

Slowing to a halt, Rey decided it was as good a time as any for a rest. Her back pressed against the tree bark as her lungs struggled for deeper breaths. She closed her eyes and let her head tip back, feeling the rough texture of the tree pull at her three buns. The fog was thickest here, making her shiver from the moisture in the air. She hadn’t bothered to dress very warm. Her jacket was too thin, and her sweatpants felt even thinner. The fact that she was soaked with sweat surely didn’t help.

It felt good to stand still for a few seconds and just take in the moment. Sometimes she ached for a little more excitement in her life, but this was home, and what the hell would a girl like her do in a big city? She might as well jump on a ship and go off exploring other planets! The town of Endor was safe. It was familiar. She knew all her neighbors and they knew her. She’d gone to school with some of them. They’d been her teachers, her family, especially after… her parents.

Rey pulled away from those thoughts… far too dangerous. She wasn’t about to let her day get ruined before it’d even begun. After a few more deep breathes she pushed off from the tree she’d been resting on, and tried to stretch. She had to keep her muscles loose for fear that they might cramp up on her for the last mile back towards her home. 

First, she worked her arms. Pulling them over her head and enjoying the definition in her biceps as she extended each arm. Her back arched automatically, and she could feel a faint crack from her spine. The pressure in her lower back faded soon after, and Rey moaned in delight. Next she bent her knees to stretch out her calves. When the pressure in her back returned she became instantly aware that her posture wasn’t quite right, adjusting accordingly so her back was straight. First the right leg, and then the leg. Much better.

Her eyes wandered over the tall redwoods towering above. The sun was just starting to peak out over the mountains to be useful, and the dark clouds that’d been hanging around for weeks threatening rain were finally moving along. She was getting anxious for some better weather. This town could be depressing enough without adding bad weather to the mix.

Her shift at the convenient store would be starting in a few hours. She ought to get moving if she was gonna make it home in time for a good shower. Rey took one last glance around when she heard an echo in the woods… that almost sounded like… a scream? No… screams. As in plural. Rey was cautious by nature, a skill her uncle had taught her young. Screaming meant danger, and she had little in the way to defend herself or anyone else. Her eyes surveyed her surroundings a little more carefully the second time around, noticing a low hanging branch she might be able to use for protection. It would have to do.

Rey gripped the edge of the branch and pulled it down with all her strength until it snapped. A little sap oozed onto her hands, making them sticky, and she resisted the urge to wipe the substance on her jogging clothes. There was just enough light to see her immediate area, but not much beyond. Bushes were everywhere, left to grow wild. Wait… another noise. Rustling. Running?

Her hands gripped the branch tighter as she moved further off the dirt path to investigate. Each step was cautious. Careful. Worried for what she might find beyond the evergreen bushes. She bent low as she heard more rustling, and the crunch of dried leaves. Before she could even react something leaped out from the bushes and collided into her with enough force to knock the air from her lungs. 

Rey yelped as she looked down, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Lucas?!” The dark skinned boy lifted his head and scrambled off of her quickly. He was practically wheezing, with eyes that looked almost crazed.

Two more emerged from the woods, decidedly slower, but no less terrified. She recognized the other boys as well… Dustin and Will. In such a small town she saw them pretty often, usually riding their bikes as they went searching for trouble. “Oh thank god! It’s an adult!” cried Dustin.

Rey was leaning on her hands as she propped herself up. She glared at all three boys, rightly suspicious considering how often they got themselves into trouble. “What are you two doing out there? Lucas, you’ve got to be more careful-”

“There’s something OUT THERE!” shouted Lucas, interrupting her. “I saw… I saw-”

Rey got to her feet quickly, leaving the branch on the dirt path as she gripped Lucas’ arms. That damn tree sap was still on her hands, and now Lucas’ shirt. “Slow down! Slow down! What did you see?”

Lucas didn’t seem capable of speech, but Dustin spoke for him. His eyes drifted back towards the woods, pointing. “I… we think someone’s dead. Lucas tripped and saw a hand… a HUMAN hand… it was all bloody and covered in some weird slime! It was just lying there in front of his face i-in the dirt.”

“Where?” Rey questioned, the muscles she’d worked so hard to stretch out, were already tightening even worse than before. “Where was this?”

This time it was Will that answered. “You can’t miss it. We found it by some trees covered in spray paint.” His voice lowered, and he looked incredibly pale. “Save Ben Solo… it said ‘save Ben Solo’ on it.”

Dustin gripped her other arm as Lucas pulled away to vomit. “The legend’s real… holy shit the legend’s actually real! H-he’s a monster… and he’s thirsting for human blood!”

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah okay... feel free to tell me this fic is shit in the comments....


	3. Chapter Three:  The Naked Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the future when people ask how Rey and Kylo met... they'll have a fun story to share.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who commented! I really appreciate it! My confidence in my writing as been lower than low, and I was starting to think I'd never be able to write another fanfic, so you guys are really amazing!

Poe had seen a lot of shit in his day; especially during the five years he spent in Mustafar city as a rookie thirsting for something a little more exciting than Old Man Kenobi calling to complain about kids crossing through his corn field again. This wasn’t a crime scene. It was a fucking nightmare. 

Those kids had stumbled upon a bloodbath… like nothing he’d ever seen before. The smell of the dead was the kind of thing no officer of the law could forget, but this was different. Human decay and a strange putrid musk permeated the area, forcing everyone to grab a mask. The tree that marked his friends’ graves was spray painted long before this attack. Save Ben Solo. That kid that went missing twenty years ago. Poe had been two grades ahead of Solo. They hadn’t really known each other, but it’d been a shock when he’d gone missing. His father was Sheriff at the time, and the look of defeat in his old man’s eyes was something Poe never forgot. They never found Ben. Leia Organa never got to bury her boy.

The first real taste of loss for this town was in the disappearance of Ben Solo. He’d become something of an urban legend, with kids constantly spray painting this shit all over town. Ironic that such a dark and unhappy story would mark the scene of something so much worse.

They’d found Wedge first… in the same damn tree that’d been spray painted. His body draped over a thick branch with half his intestines hanging down like a rope. Dameron had promptly lost his breakfast, probably contaminating half the crime scene. His deputies hadn’t done much better. By the time they’d managed to get the poor man down, they’d come to realize almost every bone in the man’s body was crushed, and a few of his organs were missing. They’d know more once the coroner got a good look at him, but in Poe’s expert opinion… there was no way in hell a human could have done this.

Snap’s remains had been a little more challenging. There was no head, and most of his body was ripped up and strewn across the camp. Everything was covered in a strange sort of white slime. They’d found a fucking finger on the shot gun Wexley must have grabbed to defend himself. Obviously, it hadn’t helped him much. The torso and legs had been dragged around to different locations nearby. The body parts were dark with dirt and blood. In Mustafar city… they taught their detectives to be clinical and distant. How the hell was he supposed to do that in a small town? His deputies were collecting slimed up pieces of his best friend… of their friend.

He and Snap… they went to high school together. On weekends they’d raced their cars under Coruscant Bridge for money. Poe always won, but never by much. They’d taunt each other before every race, with Wexley swearing up and down that ‘this time it’d be different.’ They’d always been competitive, but there was no one Poe trusted more in this world. Hell, it’d been Snap that parked himself right beside Dameron’s side when his mother died of cancer. Been like a brother when Poe had never felt so alone. Poe officiated at Snap’s wedding last year. How the fuck was he supposed to do his job when he’d spent the better part of an hour trying to keep his damn hands from shaking?

Deputy Connex was quiet as they finished bagging all the evidence, but he could feel her eyes on the back of his head. Carefully watching him… waiting for him to reach the breaking point. Kaydel was much younger, nearly a decade younger. She’d grown up in this same town, knew all the same people, but her relationship with Snap and Wedge wasn’t the same. Of all his deputies, she was handling it the best. He’d already had to send Paige Tico and Oddy Muva back to the office. They hadn’t taken this loss well. He dreaded to think how Jessika would take it when she got on duty.

“Take the rest of this out to the truck. I’m gonna go for a walk,” he ordered.

“Alone?” Whatever had killed Snap and Wedge was still out here in the woods. Her concern was justified, but he wasn’t in the mood for explaining himself. All he wanted was to be alone. He felt numb. As if his mind hadn’t really absorbed this loss yet. It would hit him eventually, and he hated to think what that would look like.

Poe pulled off his cowboy hat, and ran a hand through his hair. With the bodies gone, he no longer needed a mask, but he’d kept it just in case… shoved into his back pocket. “I need to make sure we didn’t miss anything.”

“It’s not safe,” Connex protested. “Snap and Wedge-”

“Are dead!” he interrupted coldly. There was an edge to his tone that made Kaydel’s jaw snap shut. He could tell there was a suggestion on the tip of her tongue. She’d be more than happy to stick by his side… walk the forest with him. It wasn’t like company had done Snap any good. The leaves crunched under his boots as he turned away from her, hands stuffed in his leather jacket to escape the chill left over from winter. The weather was doing funny things these days. “I’m gonna find out what happened… one way or another.”

“But Poe-”

“Sheriff Dameron,” he corrected sharply, walking away before she could say anything else. “Now get the hell out of here.”

He wasn’t trying to be harsh, but he’d had enough. Enough of the sympathetic looks and worried glances. Enough of this whole damn case that hadn’t even started yet. Someone or something had killed Snap and Wedge… and he wasn’t going to rest until he found out which. He wasn’t going to rest until that creature paid dearly.

*******

“I can’t believe this is happening.” Finn’s voice was soft as his eyes carefully watched the three boys responsible for discovering Snap and Wedge’s bodies. The school counselor was sitting in front of them at their desks, watching them draw what they’d found to help them process their trauma. “This is crazy.”

Rey silently agreed with a nod. When the boys had told her what they’d found… she’d been almost positive they were making it all up, but Lucas was hysterical, and Will was far too quiet. Dustin had offered to lead her back towards where they’d found the hand, but she’d declined and called Sheriff Dameron instead. 

Rey never could have imagined with the Sheriff would find, and she’d immediately called Mr. Plutt to ask for the morning off. He’d readily complied once she’d explained the situation, and told her she could close up tonight. Deputy Tico had taken their statements at Rey’s cabin, struggling to keep it together herself after identifying the bodies. Then after a shower and a change, she’d taken the boys to school herself, and asked Finn to call their parents.

Finn was just a gym teacher at Endor Middle, but he’d always been close to the boys. He’d been their Scout Leader for Boy Scouts, their Coach for little league baseball, and a big brother mentor for Dustin after his father died from a stroke. He’d even tutored Lucas in science, helping him boost his grade point average. No one did more for these kids than Finn. No one cared more for these kids than Finn.

“I don’t even know what to say to them,” he confessed with a sigh.

He was sitting at the teacher’s desk, letting the chair roll forwards and back, probably as a way to burn off nervous energy. Rey was sitting on the desk, twisting her neck just to look back at the boys. Lucas had finally stopped crying, and she didn’t like the emptiness in Will’s eyes. Dustin seemed rather talkative with the counselor, asking questions about death that no one was qualified to answer. Rey had gotten a peek at Dustin’s drawing. He’d drawn a monster without a face… and two red eyes. He’d claimed it was the same creature that took Ben Solo. It wasn’t exactly what the counselor had asked for, but she seemed to rolling with what she got well enough. “I don’t think there’s anything to say, Finn. They could probably use a friend… a listening ear. You’re good at that.”

Finn sighed, folding his arms. “Was it an animal? It must have been, right? No… no human would ever… could ever…” the sentence was left unfinished, but she knew exactly what he meant.

“I never saw what they saw. All I know is Deputy Tico looked like hell.”

“Oh damn, does Rose know? Her sister might need her now more than ever. Paige and Snap were good friends. She was Kare’s bride’s maid last year.”

“Maybe you should call her? Give her a head’s up?” Rey offered. “From what I hear Kare’s a wreck. I was thinking of stopping by to check on her, but Dameron’s saying she doesn’t want visitors at the moment.”

“I don’t blame her,” Finn muttered. “She’s loved Snap since high school, from what I hear, but she’d left town for college. They were doing the long-distance thing for years… and then she finally graduates and they’re just starting their life together and… aw hell. I can’t even imagine what she’s going through.”

Rey loved Finn’s soft heart. He’d moved to Endor right after college from a much bigger city. He’d always felt a smaller town would suit him better, and it was obvious he’d been right. He’d fit in so well here, that it was hard to remember a time when Finn wasn’t in all their lives. He just belonged. She almost envied that. Rey hadn’t a clue where she belonged. Nothing in her life seemed right, but she was too settled to try something new. Her friends were all she had… and after her parent’s disappearance she’d always wondered… if someday… she might find out what happened to them. Perhaps it’s what really kept her here. Waiting for an answer to the biggest question in her life. 

“Think Sheriff Dameron will find out what happened?”

She knew what he wanted to hear, what he needed to hear. That there was some justice in this world, and everything wrong would be put right soon enough. Unfortunately, life didn’t work like that. “I don’t know Finn. I really don’t know.”

*******

Working for Unkar Plutt was a little like working for a slug with a nose for business. It was both a convenient store and a pawn shop, selling everything from snacks to used DVD players. Most of the chain stores hadn’t invaded their little town just yet, so there wasn’t much competition to worry about. He barely paid her minimum wage, and his Christmas bonuses were dismal. Unfortunately, working for Unkar was still better than starving to death.

Rey spent most of her day staring off into space in the quiet store. Only three customers this evening, and the conversation had been brief and awkward. Just people passing through on their way to somewhere more exciting. Storing up on snacks probably, and grabbing a coffee so they could drive through the night.

She was alone. Again. 

Despite good friends like Finn and Rose, Rey often found herself aching like this. No family to talk to. No boyfriend or husband to listen to her complain about Unkar’s shady business practices. She didn’t even have a pet. She’d thought about getting a cat, but soon learned she was allergic. It just figured she would be.

Closing was in a few minutes. She’d already cleaned and counted the money. The doors were locked even though technically the store was still open for another minute and a half. Her purse was sitting on the counter while she finished her tuna sandwich and chocolate milk. Not exactly the fanciest dinner, but who was she kidding? She wasn’t much of a cook and it was still three days till her next paycheck.

The weather had been clear all day, only to wait until evening to rain buckets. It’d be one hell of a stressful drive back to the cabin in this weather, especially when Rose had yet to fix her defroster. She’d be using a rag every few minutes just to see. Fuck… she really needed a raise. She couldn’t afford everything that was wrong with her truck. Rey was pretty good at fixing things herself, but replacing parts was a challenge, and the local junk yard had nothing she needed.

Thirty seconds left.

Rey finished her sandwich and rolled up the foil into a ball before shoving it into the brown bag on the counter. The chocolate milk was the next thing to go in, and the bag was shoved into her purse as she fished for her keys. Another dismal end to another shitty day… perhaps the shittiest of days considering what’d happened to Snap and Wedge.

Her purse was brown pleather, with a long strap to go across her chest. The keys jangled in her hand as she left the counter and surveyed the empty store to make sure nothing was forgotten. Tomorrow was her day off, and she didn’t want Unkar calling her to complain. Once she was satisfied, Rey shut off the lights and walked towards the door, switching the sign to closed. She unlocked it just long enough to escape into the rain, and then locked it back up again, rushing to her car despite the fact that she was already soaked through.

It took far too long for her to find the right key to open her truck. She climbed in less than gracefully, and began wiping condensation off the front window before starting the engine. It roared to life with minimal protest, thank god, and she was pulling out of the parking lot in less than a minute. All she could think about was dry clothes, Netflix, and maybe some microwave popcorn as she snuggled under a thick blanket.

Fuck, she may even pour herself some wine to help her sleep.

Rey’s cabin was nearly twenty minutes away from work. The bridge that would cut that time in half was still being worked on (so much for all those tax dollars she was paying). Back roads through the woods were her only option, and in this much rain they flooded easily thanks to the many bodies of water nearby. The town of Endor was practically a swamp, with several large lakes and an even more massive river that ran through Hawkins mountain and Blevins mountain. She wouldn’t be surprised if one day the whole town disappeared under water. It rained far too much here.

She kept her high beams on and leaned over the steering wheel just to make sure she kept on the damn road. Through the rain, there was nothing but darkness, as black as coal. Rey groaned as her phone started to buzz, probably Unkar checking to make sure she’d closed up. Well, she certainly couldn’t answer it while driving. It wasn’t safe. What a convenient excuse! 

The rain seemed determined to make her drive impossible. Everything was such a blur and- “WHAT THE FUCK?!”

Rey slammed on her brakes, but it was already too late. The flash of something dashing from the woods and into the road was hit hard and her eyes grew wide as it dropped to the ground. That couldn’t have been a deer… could it? Was hard to tell. The rain made it so difficult to see. It hadn’t looked like a deer. Not really. Although it’d certainly been large in size.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” Rey clicked off her seatbelt and shoved her door open; jumping out into the heavy rain, and running towards the front of her car to make sure whatever she’d hit wasn’t dead. Her eyes grew wide as she realized there was a man lying on the asphalt. She’d hit a person. Holy shit!

Naked man… upon closer inspection.

“Oh my god, please don’t be dead!” Rey crouched down low to feel his pulse, relieved when she felt it jump and saw his chest rise and fall. The headlights allowed her to see everything, and she could feel her face heat up as her eyes automatically drifted down to the large cock between his legs. “Why the hell are you naked?!”

He didn’t answer. Knocked out cold. Of course he would be.

She really ought to get him to a hospital, but in weather like this she’d never make it in time. The road was already beginning to flood, and if she didn’t leave now, she wouldn’t even manage to make it home safely. She had first aid in the house. Rey could call Sheriff Dameron once she made it home and ask him what to do. 

First things first… how to get the rather large, naked man, into her car?

His skin was cold to the touch and pale. Long, black hair clung to his forehead, and two giant ears peeked through the thick, wet locks. “I suppose you won’t be much help, will you?”

What if he was a nutcase? Or an ax-murder? Well… good thing he didn’t have an ax right now! What if he’d just escaped from some mental hospital and was living in the woods? What if he was the one who’d killed Snap and Wedge? No… there was no way. Deputy Tico seemed to think it was some sort of animal that was responsible.

“Okay… I’m going to try and get you in my truck… do me a favor… be normal when you wake up,” she told him. No good deed ever went unpunished, but then again, she’d also committed the bad deed of hitting the naked man with her truck. So maybe she’d live through this one okay. Rey tried her best not to think about the fact that she was going to have to… touch him… in intimate places. With a grunt she began to pull him up. His dead weight making her back scream in agony. “Why couldn’t it be a woman? Or at least someone with some fucking clothes on?!” Rey groaned as she struggled to lift him.

Next time it rained this hard, she was definitely going to just crash at Finn’s… in case more men wandered naked in these woods….

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll probably be posting rapidly for the first few chapters. So be on the look out, and please PLEASE comment. I just wanna know what you guys think.


	4. Chapter Four:  An Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There has been an awakening... and shit happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so fucking sorry this took so long to update. I was on vacation for several weeks, and then I had to catch up on work, and by the time I returned to this fic I needed to change a lot. I have mapped out the story so I think it'll be about ten chapters long. So at least there's that bit of good news!

Poe Dameron was often accused of being a terrible listener, a bit too self-absorbed, absent-minded, and just generally distant... but that was mostly criticism from ex-girlfriends he never should have pursued in the first place. He was absolute shit in relationships... but he was damn good at his job. 

Part of that job was knowing when something was off. It was an instinct, developed over time, taught through experience and training. He felt it in his bones, in his gut, hell... the hairs on the back of his neck had been stiff as a board all day. Nothing about the past few days felt right. Not Snap and Wedge’s death. Not the strange disappearances of people’s pets (Mr. Jabba’s bulldog _Rancor_ being number fifteen this week). Certainly not the Mercedes-Benz, dark blue, M-Class that had followed him from the Sheriff’s office to his private residence.

He’d even taken a different route than usual, a route that locals would usually avoid due to all the detours from recent flooding. “This prick isn’t even clever…” Poe grumbled to himself. He was almost offended. If he was worth shadowing, why wasn’t he worth shadowing well?

Whomever it was parked a few houses down Poe’s street, had probably thought the rain would make it hard for Sheriff Dameron to notice, but he’d run the tags almost the moment he first spotted the vehicle... government tags, because that’s exactly what he needed right now. He’d caught a flash of ginger hair while he’d been exploring the perimeter of Snap and Wedge’s crime scene, being followed even then. 

It wasn’t until he emerged from the woods that he noticed the car, and made a note in his cell with the plate numbers. Then he’d jumped into his jeep and driven off. Poe hadn’t run the plate until he returned to the Sheriff’s office, making his secretary jump as he cursed his luck with the worst kind of language. He’d apologize to her later with a chocolate brownie from Dex’s diner. 

Poe wasn’t a fool. There was no reason for the government to be following the Sheriff of this insignificant town unless... unless this had to do with Snap and Wedge. That kind of carnage… there was no way an animal was responsible, no matter what his deputies thought. And he sure as hell didn’t believe an animal was snatching pets from people’s backyards. There’d been a few bears that occasionally enjoyed taking a dip in people’s pools, but even then they’d run off the moment they spotted humans.

The question was, how was he going to handle his shadow? How long before they attempted to bug his house or tap his phone? Hell, they might have already done that. If they wanted in on his investigation why not just take over? Unless... unless their government tags were a smokescreen. Something that made them look official in case Poe wised up, which hadn’t taken long, they were sloppy as fuck. He didn’t like this... not one bit. One way or another he was gonna find out what the hell these people were up to. If they were in any way responsible for Wedge and Snap’s death... they’d pay. Somehow Poe would make them pay.

*******

Rey’s body ached in places she hadn’t even known existed. It turned out trying to drag an unnaturally large naked man into her cabin was a lot more complicated than it looked. There was a rusted-out wheel barrel in her shed, which had certainly helped ease the transition from car to the couch, but she’d still managed to pull a muscle in her back, and her shoulder was practically screaming at her. He was wrapped up in several blankets for the sake of his modesty and her mental health, laid out by the fireplace to warm up and dry off. His appearance and state of undress were a mystery, but the fact that she’d yet to find a single reason why he wasn’t waking up just made her even more uneasy.

 _“You took him home with you?!”_ While Rey’s body remained partially in the kitchen by the phone’s base, her head was tipped out towards the living room. Her eyes remained focused on the man currently propped up against her couch… half terrified and half intrigued by this stranger she’d brought into her home. He was so still, and deathly pale.

“I didn’t know what else to do! There was no way I’d make it to a hospital when the roads were already flooding from this storm!” To emphasize her point, a loud clap of thunder rumbled through the house, and she could see flashes of lightning that looked far too close for comfort.

_“Rey-”_

“I couldn’t just leave him on the road!” she continued, determined to make her point. It wasn’t as if she’d not thought about the risk she was taking. 

Rey’s pointer finger idly curled around the phone’s chord several times, a nervous habit… one of many. She could see the tip of her finger turning red as her hand pressed into the doorway. It was one of those old fashioned phones connected to the wall, bought long before she was even born. She’d kept the cabin mostly the same with the hopes that perhaps one day her parents might come back, and frankly, she hadn’t seen the point in replacing a phone that still worked just fine. Her cell had dropped to one percent, forcing her to put it in the bedroom to charge. 

_“Rey, I get your point, but-”_

“Would you rather I’d just driven off? Get convicted of manslaughter when they found his bloated corpse as the flood waters receded?”

_“Rey, I’m in the middle of a god damn murder investigation and you’re bringing home a possible suspect! Did you even think this through at all?! Did you at least tie him up?!”_

“Murder investigation?” Rey squawked in a panic, backing away from the doorway and into the kitchen. She lowered her voice to a whisper, lips brushing against the mouthpiece. “I thought Snap and Wedge were killed by some sort of animal?”

_“I’m not going to rule out anything until I hear back from the coroner! Something about this case doesn’t sit right with me.”_

Rey rolled her eyes with a huff, swinging the refrigerator door open to grab a drink. Dameron was doing terrible things to her already frayed nerves. “Well, I’m not tying up and unconscious man, Poe!”

_“And if he comes to and murders you?”_ Most people in her town had trust issues with strangers, and she certainly understood why, but she’d hit the man with her truck. How the hell was she going to explain handcuffs when he finally did wake up? Not to mention the only handcuffs she had were… erm… for more pleasurable activities (not that she’d ever really gotten the chance to use them).

“If I’m dead by morning I’ll be sure to let you know.” She rarely drank, especially considering she wasn’t quite twenty-one yet, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She used to hate beer, but she’d developed a taste for it in the last few years. Unkar Plutt let her take a case home despite being underage.

_“Not funny, Rey! This storm is bad! I can’t get to you! The back roads are completely flooded now! Weatherman’s saying we might not see an end to this rain till morning and there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to get to you even when it does!”_

Rey stiffened, irritated by how unhelpful he was truly being. “I can take care of myself, Poe!”

_“So could Snap and Wedge!” he roared._

That quieted any sarcastic retort on the tip of her tongue. Poe didn’t like feeling helpless. He’d just lost two close friends in one fell swoop, in the same woods where she’d found… a complete stranger with no clothes on. Rey knew this wasn’t an ideal situation, but she’d had no choice. She couldn’t let the man she’d hit die in the woods... and he most certainly would have. He’d either have drowned due to the flooding, or from injuries she caused. Rey twisted off the top of her beer and took a long sip.

Poe was sighing loudly through the phone, and she could tell he was struggling to regain control of his temper. _“I don’t like it, Rey. You’re isolated and alone out there. Please be careful. Take some fucking precautions with this guy.”_

Rey knew he was right. He was just trying to keep her safe. “Okay, Poe. You have my word.”

_“Call me the moment he wakes up.”_

“I promise.”

_“Rey-“_

“I’ll be fine, Poe. I should probably go check on him now.”

_“Right... yeah... you go do that. Don’t forget to call me!”_

“Sir, yes sir!” she teased before hanging up the phone. He meant well, but there were times when she really wished he wasn’t quite so overbearing. Poe liked to be the knight in shining armor that made everyone feel safe. It was his job to look after the town, but he was especially protective of friends. Rey often grew tired of his misguided attempts at taking care of her, as if she were some damsel in distress since her parent’s disappearance. She’d managed quite well on her own. She was stronger than she looked.

That call to Poe had be a complete waste of time. All he’d succeeded in doing was spiking her own anxiety, and it wasn’t exactly low to begin with. She still didn’t know what she ought to do. What if this mystery man had internal bleeding? What if he fell into a coma? What if he was already dead? She couldn’t live with herself if this accident ended up taking a life! He hadn’t looked injured… not even a real scratch on him, though there’d certainly been quite a few older scars, too many to count! He could be fine… he could wake up any minute! 

Rey stilled, realizing it’d been awhile since she’d checked on him. She’d been so preoccupied with Poe and his damned suspicions. Shit. Rey licked dry lips as she eyed the doorway, ears straining to hear movement, but there was nothing. Poe had gotten into her head, made her tense, and a part of her wanted to scramble into her room and hide in a closet… but no. She was better than this. Everything was fine. He was probably still unconscious. She just needed to be sure. She was fine. She could take care of herself. 

Rey took a deep, calming breath as she looked at the doorway. Around the corner was the living room. The cabin was so quiet… but that did little to calm her nerves. She needed to stop freaking out! Everything was probably just as she’d left it! She was no coward! Rey huffed and straightened (her back protesting just a bit), and then forced her body to lean to her right, peeking out into the living room. A pile of blankets. The fire crackling. 

And no naked man….

“Oh fuck!” Rey cursed, rushing into the living room without thinking. Maybe he’d just fallen over! “Shit, shit, shit!”

The sound of the floor creaking gave her pause, her eyes sliding to the left as she saw movement. She, on the other hand, was still. Rey didn’t move a muscle. Her heart was pounding so hard, her chest actually hurt. He was awake. He was in her house. She should have been watching him more closely. 

Another creak. Like the sound of a door.

Rey turned her head towards the noise. He was in her bedroom. Maybe she needed a knife? Or a bat. Did she have a bat? Fuck, she definitely didn’t have a bat. It would be wrong to pull a knife on a guy she nearly ran over, but then again he was currently in her fucking bedroom. That sure as hell wasn’t proper etiquette! Poe had told her to take precautions. She shouldn’t have been so quick to ignore his advice… especially if Snap and Wedge really were… murdered.

She swallowed hard, crouched low as she made her way to her bedroom. The door was cracked, and Rey strained to see, her face against the door in the hopes of spotting his position. She couldn’t see anything. Where was he? What was he doing? There was something… something in the dark. Just a little closer through the cracked door… she could see…

An eye.

Rey jumped back with a shout, tripping on the rug, and her back hit the floor. The impact forced the breath from her lungs, and for a moment her eyes closed as the soreness of her body intensified tenfold. The bedroom door swung open as he walked back into the living room, and Rey cursed as she realized he’d shed all the blankets. This guy really had no interest in modesty. His eyes were nearly black as he lowered his gaze to her, crouching down to hover over her.

He didn’t move closer. There was an innocence to his gaze, his full lips curled into a faint smile, one hand reaching out to her. Her breathing was labored, but she didn’t pull away. The hand continued to reach out to her, pausing just inches from her face. What was he doing? It seemed as if he wanted to touch her. She ought to have been scared, but she wasn’t. His face… it was so childlike and full of wonder, as if she were some puzzle he was trying to solve.

It wasn’t what she expected. _He_ wasn’t what she expected. “Where am I?”

“He speaks,” she whispered, mostly to herself. “This is my home. You were hurt.”

His hand had a slight tremor to it, when he finally built up the nerve to touch her, and Rey gasped. She could feel the heat of his body even stronger than the fire she’d made to warm him up. His finger trailed down the side of her face so gently, she almost didn’t feel it. She watched as he bit on his bottom lip, cautiously moving closer, his touch growing more bold as he traced her jaw. She ought to be careful. There was something about him, something dangerous and unnatural, but she didn’t pull away. Despite her instincts to keep a distance, somehow she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. It was his eyes, there was a softness to his eyes. “Hurt?”

“I… it was an accident.” Rey blushed as he pulled his hand away from her face, and she turned to the pile of blankets nearby. She grabbed the one closest to her and shoved it towards him. “Please put this on!”

His hand brushed against hers as he took it from her, looking down at the blanket as if he didn’t know what they were used for. His thumb caressed the soft fabric, head tilted to the side as he studied the material. 

“Around your waist… you put it around your waist,” Rey pushed, her face probably bright red from embarrassment.

His gaze lifted to hers for entirely too long, a flash of defiance across his face, as if he could actually be offended by her request. However, he eventually did as she asked, wrapping it loosely around his hips. She could still see the trail of hair starting at his navel and disappearing under the blanket, her eyes flickering over his pecs, and the impressive 8-pack that made her swallow audibly. Her relief was short-lived as she realized he was continuing to invade her space. He seem determined to ignore boundaries, as if he didn’t comprehend personal space. She should have been annoyed… or at least uncomfortable. She wasn’t. 

“Rey is lonely.”

It took a moment for Rey to process his words. His voice was too quiet, as if speaking to himself rather than her. There was a strange sensation, like something warm, moving through her body… as if she were being explored from the inside out. The feeling drifted up and down her spine, towards the back of her head, and then there were those penetrating eyes that studied her so closely. “H-How do you know my name?” He said she was lonely. How could he possibly know that?

She hadn’t thought it possible, but he drew even closer, his mouth mere inches from hers, and his dark eyes glowing a dark tinted red. “You’re not alone,” he whispered.

His words made her gut clench as she backed away from him, only to bump into the couch. She was finding it very difficult to breathe with him so close. “Who are you?” Rey finally asked, because his face felt too familiar, like something in a dream.

“Kylo. I am Kylo,” he answered as his eyes continued to burn through her. She couldn’t look away, couldn’t resist his pull. “Thank you, Rey… for saving me.”

*******

“You can’t really think Ben Solo is responsible for what we saw. That’s ridiculous,” Lucas protested as he lay sprawled on his bed, glancing over the top of his Samsung. It sounded like he was playing some sort of puzzle game, with a soothing tune just faint enough in volume to not be recognizable. The storm was loud, and the rain was pounding against the window like tiny pebbles. “It’s just an urban legend. Ben Solo isn’t some creepy monster. That kind of thing doesn’t happen in real life!”

Dustin twisted around in the desk chair, pausing his google search. “Oh really? Impossible? I’m sure people thought the same thing about technology in the eighties before your cell was invented. We’re living in the age of sheep cloning and genetically modified foods, Lucas. You really think the military gave up on researching ways to make their soldiers more deadly, or tap into our brains to make us pliable zombies willing to obey the President’s every command? Get real.”

His eyes narrowed into a squint as he looked at Dustin, a mixture of disbelief and confusion written all over his face. They may have been best friends, but sometimes Dustin felt like he was the only one without a veil covering over his eyes. Just a bunch of sheeps! All of them! “Why would the President want us to be mindless zombies?”

“So people will actually vote for him in the next election. I mean, come on, this is President Palpatine we’re talking about here. He’s as creepy as it gets.”

“True,” Lucas conceded with a sigh. They may have been kids, but they couldn’t help overhearing all the shit their current President was up to, and it was never good. Half the country was on the verge of a riot… although the news certainly knew how to sensationalize this kind of shit. It was armageddon every week these days. “Still… how does googling blogs with weird conspiracy theories about Ben Solo’s disappearance supposed to solve Sherif Dameron’s case. He said it was just a wild animal or something.”

“You and I both know wild animals don’t do THAT, Lucas! What the hell was that slime? It had a weird smell and everything! Plus, you’d be surprised what you can learn on the internet! It’s actually really enlightening.”

“Yeah, if you wanna look at fake pictures of Big Foot and space aliens,” Lucas scoffed.

Dustin rolled his eyes and turned back towards the computer. “I’ve been doing searches on any vandalism in the town with the words ‘Save Ben Solo,’ and I think I’ve discovered a connection.” Idly, Dustin chewed on the pencil he’d been holding as he took notes. Teeth marks lined up the number two pencil… which was exactly why his mother always bought him the mechanical ones. “There’s this woman, Maz Kanata who claims she used to work for the government which was funding researching in enhancing human beings.”

“ _Claimed_ being the key word here,” Lucas sighed, shifting his body to slide off the bed. “Why would the government let her share information like this? Wouldn’t this kind of stuff be top secret?”

“Like anyone would believe her!” Dustin muttered. “Just hear me out, okay?! This is where it gets interesting! There was this scientist that she worked with who was leading the project, and he had a serious dark side. He wanted clearance to experiment on children! The government refused to give him the green light, but she always suspected that Doctor Snoke had continued with his research anyway. Not soon after several kids went missing, and none were ever seen or heard from again. Most of these kids were runaways or orphans, but Ben Solo… he was different. He’d last been seen running off into the woods. There was no trace of him, Lucas! Not soon after is when the street art began. Kanata believes the other children that were kidnapped died during Doctor Snoke’s experiments, but that maybe… maybe Ben Solo survived! He could have been altered somehow!”

“Like… into some sort of monster?”

The tone of Lucas’ voice made Dustin grit his teeth, but he carried on stubbornly. “The thing is… this whole ‘ _Save Ben Solo_ ’ movement… no one has ever been caught spray painting those words on buildings! Not one person! No stupid teens or weird drunks. Some of these areas have cameras, Lucas… but they always conveniently malfunction! How weird is that?! In fact, it seems to be about the only real vandalism going on in this town. What if it’s a message?”

Lucas broke out into a laugh, shutting the laptop, and almost injuring one of Dustin’s fingers in the process. “You’re insane! You’re seriously losing it! This is serious! This isn’t some Goonies movie, Dustin. The message is, gullible kids like you will fall for just about anything. One day I’m gonna find you in some basement with cans of baked beans, and an aluminum hat, claiming the world’s gonna end.”

Dustin immediately stood, just an inch taller than Lucas, and officially pissed. “I’m not gullible! You just can’t accept the truth! Something weird is going on and you refuse to even consider it! What if it was one of us that was missing?! For all we know it could happen to us! Ben Solo was just a few years younger than us when he was taken!”

Lucas wasn’t even a little intimidated. “I’m not letting you use my computer for your stupid theories!”

“They aren’t stupid! You’re stupid!” Actually… that reply was pretty stupid, but Dustin didn’t know what else to say. Lucas wasn’t usually so resistant to his ideas! Something wasn’t right… why was his friend acting so weird? “You’re afraid! Aren’t you?! That’s why you refuse to listen to me!”

“What do you really expect us to do, Dustin! We’re kids! You said it yourself… this Doctor Snoke could be dangerous! He could be a pedophile or something! You really want to risk your life over vandalism?!”

Dustin couldn’t believe his ears! “People are dead, Lucas!” 

“And you’ll be next!” Lucas snapped. “Is that really what you want? To put yourself in danger over a person you’ve never even met before?! All because of some stupid urban legend this town created to deal with the loss?!”

“Not cool!” He’d always had so much respect for Lucas. He’d thought Lucas was better than this! He was the kind of friend that would stick up for others… even when they were being bullied by someone twice his size! He stucky by Dustin even when he’d shown up at school in his Halloween costume like an idiot… essentially committing social suicide. That was the kind of guy Lucas was… ‘was’ being the key word. The shove was gentle, but Lucas stagger backwards anyway. “Do what you want! I have to get home anyway, but I will find out the truth! With or without you!”

He grabbed his backpack before Lucas could say another word, slamming the door shut behind him just to make his feelings perfectly clear. At least they were neighbors. The storm looked bad and he hadn’t dressed for rain. He’d assumed he could just spend the night. Well, that wasn’t happening now. Lucas may have been acting like a coward, but Dustin was done letting fear control him. He was on to something… he just knew it!

*******

Of course he wouldn’t fit her father’s clothes. That would be too easy. Kylo with clothes on would finally allow her to think clearly. She’d be able to see past his rock hard abs and bulging muscles. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t seen a fit body before, but it’d been so long since she’d connected with anyone like this, or felt that tightness down below… practically vibrating with a need for physical contact. Ugh, she was so pathetic… lusting after a naked man with the eyes of a gigantic puppy.

Rey used to think her father was massive, but memories were easy to distort with time, and she hadn’t seen him since she was a child. Kylo was thick and solid. Taller than her father too. Not even his old sweats had made it past Kylo’s thighs. His cock just hanging out over the waist band as he waddled out of the bathroom to show her his situation. Absolutely unashamed of his body, and confused by her awkward babbling. Her face had heated at least twelve degrees, eyes up, and silently asking why life liked to fuck with her mental state. 

Eventually, she’d managed to shoo him back into the bathroom to take off the far too small sweatpants. He’d returned to holding the blanket around his waist as she made up the couch, watching her quietly as she struggled to tuck the blanket just right in the hopes that it wouldn’t come loose during the night. “You’ll be sleeping here tonight. The Sheriff and Finn are coming over in the morning and they’ll bring clothes. You and Finn share a similar build, so maybe his clothes will fit you.”

Rey straightened and turned to look at Kylo, losing her breath when she almost went face first into his broad chest. They were really going to have to discuss the importance of personal space. She resisted the urge to reach out and touch him, flexing her hands into fists and jutting out her chin as she looked up. 

His eyes held hers with an intensity that made her knees weak. The air crackled with an energy just as powerful as the lightning storm… like some strange form of chemistry beyond her understanding. Her skin screamed in agony with a need she’d never felt before. Like a little voice in her head urging her to stay close, to reach out. He was like one of those powerful magnets, just pulling her towards him even as she fought to keep her distance.

“I’m sorry the couch isn’t very comfortable. It’s all I’ve got.” When he didn’t move, she let a frustrated huff and dragged him over to it, pushing him down until his ass finally hit the cushion. “Get some rest,” she told him coldly.

Thunder rumbled as if to emphasize her command, shaking the cabin enough to make the pictures on the wall rattle. Rey turned to leave when a large hand reached out and gripped her arm. It was almost tight enough to cut off circulation, hinting at a strength that felt threatening. Her body tensed automatically, instinctually preparing for a fight, but when she whirled back around all she saw were the eyes of a scared boy. “Don’t go. Please.”

Rey frowned, caught off guard. He couldn’t be. There was no way someone like him, a grown fucking man, could be afraid of a simple storm… could he? Another flash of lightning lit up her living room through the large windows and Rey was stunned by the way he quickly buried his head into her abdomen, visibly shaking. Holy fuck, this wasn’t an act. This wasn’t some sort of manipulation. “You’re afraid,” she whispered in disbelief. When she felt his forehead press against the exposed skin of her belly, she reacted with pity, her hand gently soothing him. Fingers sliding through his thick mane. “It’s just a storm.”

He didn’t seem convinced. His hands curled around her, pulling her in between his legs. Their positions felt so intimate, as if she belonged in his arms. Fuck… she’d lost all good sense, hadn’t she? Loneliness had taken its toll, Rey supposed. Her thoughts were a minefield of desperation and yearning. She was better than this. More sensible, at least… and yet here she stood... stroking a stranger’s head and contemplating an adjustment in their sleeping arrangements. Poe was going to kill her.

“Alright, you can sleep in my room for tonight. Stay on your side of the bed, though. This is non-negotiable. One finger over the line and you’ll be dealing with this storm from outside. Do I make myself clear?” Rey reached down to grab his chin, forcing him to look at her. He didn’t speak… not even a nod. Just stared back looking more and more like a newly born pup. He even stuck out his bottom lip as if he was seconds away from crying. This man truly was dangerous… just not the way she’d been expecting. “Come along… before I change my mind.”

She pulled away from him with some effort, as he didn’t seem eager to let go and walked towards her bedroom, with Kylo close behind. A loud clap of thunder far louder this time, had even Rey jumping as she swung open her door. She could feel his nails dig into her hand as she led him inside. Rey wondered how a man so massive could look so vulnerable at the same time.

He was naked… of course. Before she even turned around, she was quite certain he’d dropped the blanket. She’d just agreed to sleep next to a naked man for the night. She was clearly compromised. This was by far the stupidest, most reckless thing she’d ever done. Then again, was it really so different from what she saw women do on television. Pick up some random guy and take him home for a one night stand? Rey was drawing the line at sex… all they’d be doing was sleeping, but it wasn’t so dissimilar… was it? 

Rey swallowed thickly as he climbed into her bed, giving her an eyeful of his well sculpted ass. His head dropped to the pillow and he looked so content as his eyes sought her out. Waiting. Waiting for her. “Fuck,” she muttered under her breath. This was going to be a very long night….

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, comments are life, and I have a cold... so I'm literally dying. lol


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